"Pure, flawless gems have auspicious powers which
can protect one from demons, snakes, poisons, diseases, sinful reactions,
and other dangers, while flawed stones have the opposite effect."

GARUDA-PURANAM: Chapter 68, Verse 17

"A gem free from all impurities and radiating its
characteristic internal luster should be looked upon as an escort of good
luck. A gem which is cracked, fissured, devoid of luster, or appearing
rough or sandy, should not be used at all."

AGNI-PURANAM: Chapter 246, Verse 7 & 8

That gems have powers that can effect one's life for better or worse is stated
in the above quotes as well many chapters of the Sri Garuda Puranam, such
as the following quote on rubies by Sri Suta Goswami, "A ruby, although
genuine, should not be worn if it has strong color banding, excessive
inclusions within like numerous internal cracks, a sandy appearance, a
rough surface, or is dull and lusterless. Anyone using such a flawed ruby,
even out of ignorance, will suffer from disease, or loss of fortune."

Gemstones are the Earth's natural conduit for piezoelectric
energy waves radiated from the Nine planets recognized by the Vedic science
of "sidereal" astrology. It is both common sense and the traditional Vedic
recommendation that only "clean" gems will receive and transmit "undisturbed"
astral energy waves

Since there were no microscopes to detect flaws in those
ancient times, clean to them meant eye-clean.

At present, the gem trade has lost much of its integrity because of the
widespread treatment of natural gems to conceal or change imperfections.
The oiling of flawed emeralds as a routine procedure is an obvious example
of such treatment. The oil enters the gem through internal cracks which
break the surface of the stone. After a period of time the oil dries and
the flaws are again visible.

---Emeralds are green beryl by definition

---Included is flawed by definition

If Emerald were flawed by definition then Shastras would not have recommended
fine quality, because Shastra orders, "only eye clean" gems are to be used.

Most commercial green beryl these days is heavily included...but that
is the cheap stuff. If people are willing and able to pay the price from
$1000-$5000 per carat (cheaper than clean ruby) then they can have non-oiled
clean emerald... But the poor people buy "cracked" and thus
remain poor, and this fact makes the more well to do people NOT believe in Planetary
Gemology. The reality is that cleaner and auspicious emeralds cannot be oiled because there are no
internal cracks breaking the surface. There is no way for oil or anything
to enter into a fine, 'intact' non-cracked single unit gem crystal of
auspicious quality (health).

Flawed gems are far less beautiful and can be a source of misfortune.
Most people will not buy torn clothes or a new car with obvious defects.
Almost no one uses cracked eyeglasses. Isn't it odd that almost everyone
uses flawed gems?

A good way to think about gem clarity is to mentally compare
the location and seriousness of flaws in a gem to similar defects in your
own body. If there are minimal flaws in either a gem or your body, there
is life and power. But if the defects are too severe, there is neither
life nor power. Vedic texts state clearly that only amala, CLEAN gems
are acceptable for use by thoughtful humans.

Beside the Navaratna, or 9 primary gems, there are many other natural
gemstone choices based on color. If one cannot afford the cost of a clean
precious gem, one can choose an Upa-ratna, or secondary gem. For example:
Instead of selecting emerald for the planet Mercury (Budha-graha), one
can also use tsavorite (green grossularite), chrome-green or green tourmaline,
chrome-green or green diopside, green peridot or green jade. Jade, being
an "aggregate" (made up of tiny crystals all fused together) is less preferable
than the other Mercury gems which are "single unit" crystals.

There ARE eye-clean, beautiful unburned precious gems on this planet,
but they are scarce and costly. Rather than select a flawed primary gem,
it is far wiser to choose a flawless Upa-ratna, or secondary gem. These
Uparatnas are less expensive than their precious counterparts, and yet
conduct the same astral energy of their associated planet. They are also
easier to find without flaws or treatment.

See below for a list of all natural gems and their piezoelectricity associated
planets.

REMEMBER: Whatever gem(s) you use should be flawless,
because according to ancient Vedic wisdom only "eye-clean" gems are helpful
and attractive, while visibly flawed gems are defective and disturbing!

Having described in brief the individual nature and powers of the nine
planetary gemstones along with the Uparatnas (semiprecious gems), we will
now elaborate on their preparation and use as astrological talismans.